Many proposals have been made for beds suitable for invalids and hospital patients which can be disassembled to facilitate transfer of the beds to different rooms, floors, and to and from the residence of a patient not in need of hospitalization. Modern versions of such beds embody various means for adjusting the mattress support between horizontal and different angular postions so important to the comfort and recovery of the patient. Typical U.S. Patents representative of prior constructions include Bayer No. 1,775,547, Stanley No. 3,281,873, Douglass No. 3,398,411, Benoit No. 3,818,518, Paine No. 3,919,727. In general, these prior constructions are not only complex and costly but the principal components are far too large and heavy to be handled, assembled and disassembled by one person. This becomes particularly costly and objectionable when moving the bed between different buildings or when transporting it between a place of use and a place of temporary storage. In each of the beds shown in the above patents, the main frame and mattress support comprises a single unit which is separable only from the two head boards.
Another shortcoming of the prior beds is the lack of a simple, high strength coupling interconnecting the main frame to the lightweight tubular stock conventionally used as the support legs for the head boards. The light gauge stock of these legs is not well suited to take the strains and stresses to which these couplings are subjected.
Beds for invalids also have need for patient helper devices overlying the head board and providing a hand grip or other device within reach of the patient and which he may grasp for assistance in changing position or in gaining some degree of exercise. Prior proposals for such devices are shown in Armstrong U.S. Pat. No. 2,057,811, Nichols U.S. Pat. No. 2,305,548, Rosessler U.S. Pat. No. 2,601,686 and Mayer U.S. Pat. No. 3,077,613. These devices serve a useful purpose but are unnecessarily complex and lack satisfactory provision for moving the horizontal arm to a position of safety and a compact retracted position when not in use.